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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Why a barre class alone won’t get you the tush you are looking for!

Today is the last to enter the Tiny Prints Giveaway, so get your butt over there if you haven't! I am going to close and choose by 5:00pm.

Natalie and I did our first barre class yesterday! Holy sore ass legs batman it was killer!

After looking at all the slim and trim ladies it had me questioning my weight training, and if maybe I should just do barre. My answer came to me all too quickly, and my instincts were right. Nope! Weight lifting will not make us bulky ladies! here is the proof. (Now eating like crap for a year and sitting on your butt will).

You've Heard: Resistance Training Makes Women Bulky

This myth just won't die and, unfortunately, it's horribly misguided.

And to prove it, just go to any big-box gym in America and see how many 140-lb. guys with pencil-thin arms and a beer gut are in the gym multiple days a week, trying to get "big" or "huge."

Clearly something isn't working. It takes a lot of work both in and out of the gym to get big or bulky. You not only need to be dedicated to your training, but you need proper nutrition if you're serious about putting on size.

"There is a big misconception about what causes bulk. Bulk isn't muscle; it is muscle covered by fat," said Mike Roussell, author and nutritional consultant. "So if you feel that you are too bulky, then it is important to fine-tune your diet to lose the excess fat -- not give up weight training."

Women have a distinct disadvantage if the goal is to put on size. They have about one-tenth the testosterone of males, and testosterone is a key component in the muscle-building process. So even if you're working out just as hard as a man, lifting the same amount of weight and gorging on calories, you still won't see the same results with regard to muscle building.

Could not agree more! In college I worked out like a crazy person and I was always one of the only girls in the free weight section of our college gym. And the cardio equipment was always full of girls. After multiple girls telling me me they couldn't believe I lifted weights I lost it and finally pointed out that I was much thinner and in shape than those girls who spent all their time on only the cardio equipment!Great post!

Hey girl - I take Barre a few times a week, either at Barre Evolution, Coastal Body or ESAC, BUT I never use it to replace any of my workouts, i.e. strength training sessions. I believe lifting weights and building lean muscle mass is what helps your body become a fat-burning machine. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in your sedentary state throughout the day - that's just science. Keep up the weights, and I actually recommend for it to be done 4 times a week...giving each group a 48-hr rest between beatings. LOL. i.e., I do legs/butt one day, the next I will do chest/tri's, then shoulders/back, then back to legs/butt again and so on and so forth. I hope you enjoyed Barre! www.styleoyster.blogspot.com / www.i-heartfitness.blogspot.com

Hey! Which barre class did you go to? I like Pure Barre because they do a good amt of arm weights. It definitely makes a big difference! I just don't go over 3 lbs. I think that there are people who have tendencies to bulk, it just depends on your body type. I had to quit spin classes because my legs got as big as tree trunks and I couldn't fit into any of my clothes. Yikes! Not pretty!

I agree. I think barre is great thing to incorporate with cardio and weights. I did it once a week for a couple months before my wedding along with other stuff. However, it definitely helped with smaller muscles like tri's and bi's. You look FAB in the pic btw!

I was a D1 lacrosse player and the only way to get the body you want is to workout like crazy ... no matter what the workout! I have a two year old and a 3 month old and as soon as I stop nursing...I am joining you on the get fit and lose weight band wagon! Your pic here inspires me! Love your blog and especially the design! New follower. Check me out at www.kristinseymour.blogspot.comHappy Friday!

We don't have any barre classes around here so I've never tried it but I am huge advocate of weight lifting! I've done it my whole life and I swear its the reason I've stayed thinner even when I slacked on cardio

Hey girl, I have done both...and overall I have found that the Bar classes changed my body in a way that weight lifting and cardio never did. My thighs slimmed down and my arms got super toned. I do agree that diet is about 75% of the problem. I think you just have to find what works for you...either way, if you are dedicated to some workout routine you will look amazing!

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